Ironing-table and rack



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. J. S. COLE.

IRONING TABLE AND BACK.

No. 457,704. Patented Aug. 11, 1891.

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(No Model.) 2 sheets-shet 2.

J S. COLE. IRONING TABLE AND BACK.

No. 457,704. Patented Aug. 11, 1891.

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UNITED STATES JOSEPH S. COLE, OF

PATENT OFFICE.

ALBANY, INDIANA. I

IRONlNG-TABLE AND RACK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,704, dated August 11, 1891.

Application filed March 11, 1891. Serial No, 384,587. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

' Be it known that I, JOSEPH'S. COLE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Albany, in the county of Delaware and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in a Folding Ironing-Table and Clothes-Rack, of which the fol- My present invention is an improvement upon the combined ironing-table and clothesrack described in my former United States Patent No. 427,051, granted me on the 6th day of May, 1890.

It is the object of my invention to provide such an arrangement of parts as will permit the device to be folded compactly and quickly, and which may readily be set up and locked by the mere act of unfolding the parts, the operation of folding. and unfolding being to this extent automatic.

My object is, further, to dispense with the use of detachable brace or stay rods, which require to be hooked into place'when setting up the device, or nnhooked therefrom when I arrange the various parts so that the c0mbination of the two devices-namely,theironingtable and the clothes-rackis made Without requiring but very little more room than that occupied by one ,alone as ordinarily constructed, and especially is this feature noticeable when the device is folded, the rack being adapted to fold down upon the table or under structure and in small compass.

XVith the above specific objects in View my invention consists in the combinations of parts particularly described and claimed hereinafter, and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- 4 Figure 1 is a central sectional view showing in dotted lines the parts folded. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the table and rack in its unfolded state.

In the drawings the ironing -board A is shown as supported by the horizontal bars B B extending transversely under its ends and projecting to the rear about half their-length. The supports for the table consist of the legs a b at each end thereof, said legs being inclined when .the table is set up and pivoted or hinged together at 1, where they cross each other. The legs a are pivoted at their upper ends to the forward ends of the horizontal bars B, and the upper ends of the other legs I) fit in notches formed in thennder edges of the said horizontal bars. These legs are also connected to the horizontal bars by slotted links 2, pivoted to the bars B and joined to the legs I) by pins passing through slots in the links. The legs are braced by rods extencL ing between them, the stay-rods4 extending between the ends of the legs, and the central stay-rod 5 extending between their center portions. Tenons on the ends of this rod pass through the legs and form the pivotal connection thereof.- In order to further brace the supporting structure, the legs a are braced by the angular stays O, reaching between the said legs and the main or central stay-rod 5, near the center thereof, and when the structure is folded the ends of these stays fit within notches 20 in the horizontal bars B.

The parts thus far described constitute the ironing-table, and it will be readily seen that the structure is thoroughly braced and capable of withstanding all necessary strain, and that it may be folded quickly and within small compass by simply disengaging the legs I) from the notches in the horizontal bars, this being done by lifting the table slightly, when the device will fold by its own weight, being thus automatic.

The clothes-rack comprises, also, a folding frame-work capable of quick operation, and it includes the inclined side bars 0 D, constituting supporting-legs, which are braced I by cross-stay rods 7 S, the rods 7 being at the ends of the legs and the rod 8 at their center and forming their pivots. The rod 7, which extends between the lower ends of legs 0, also connects the rear ends of the horizontal bars B B, the legs being pivoted on the outside of said horizontal bars. The lower ends of the other legs D fit behind the rear edge of the table-t0p,near the ends thereof, and the stayrods, extending across between the said legs at this point, rest upon the upper edge of the horizontal bars B B, and it will thus be seen that the rack-frame is held in open position simply by the lower ends of the inclined legs D catching behind the rear edge of the tabletop and the lower front crossrod 7 resting on horizontal bars B B. In addition to this I provide a detent-frame consisting of the detent-barsE, hinged at the upper ends of the legs 0 C and braced by stay-rods 9 9. These detent-bars have notches in their under edges, which engage the cross-stay at the upper ends of the legs D, and when so engaged the rack will be held open bythis means, whether the lower ends of the legs D engage the rear edge of the table-top or not.

At the upper ends of the legs D is hinged a drop-frame consisting of the side bars 10 and the cross-stays 11, and when the rack is set up this frame may hang down vertically at the back, while the 'detent-frame projects to the rear over it, and by this arrangement it will be seen that cross-stays are provided in various vertical planes to receive articles for drying. The drop-frame may be adjusted to other positions by-elevating it and causing the detent-bars to engage with either of its cross-stays, and while the parts are in these positions the rack is held open entirely by the legs D catching behind the table-top. It will be obvious that the action of the rack is somewhat automatic, it being only necessary to lift it in order to unfold it, the parts being so connected that they naturally assume their correct positions when moved to open the frame, the legs D naturally dropping back of the table-top, with the cross-stay resting on the horizontal bars.

The detent-frame may be used in any of the several positions indicated, though preferably with the drop-frame depending at the rear.

In order to fold the rack, the detent-frame is disengaged and the legs D slightly lifted from behind the table-top and the drop-frame turned over upon the detentframe, when the weight of the frame itself will cause it to fold into proper position, and it will be noticed that this is partially over the board of the table and entirely within the limits of the table structure.

I desire to point out particularly that the entire rack and table folds within the same vertical planes occupied by them when open. The table-legs are equal in length to the horizontal bars, and when folded do not project at either end beyond said bars, while the upper structure folds toward the front entirely within the limits of the table-frame. The The slotted links serve to guide 'the movement of the table structure and keep thelegs b in alignment with the notches, preventing lateral displacement.

I claim as my invention 1. In a folding table and in combination with the horizontal bars B B, notched in their under edges, the legs a a, pivoted to the front ends of said bars, the legs 6 Z), pivoted centrally to the legs a a. and having their upper ends free and adapted to the notches in the bars B B, and the slotted links connecting said legs with the bars near the notches to permit spreading of the upper ends of the legs in folding, substantially as described.

2. The combined table and rack, consisting of the horizontal bars B and table-top, the pairs of cross-legs a b, pivoted together below the horizontal bars, and the rack comprising the cross-legs C D, pivoted together above the table, one pair a of the lower cross-legs and one pair 0 of the upper cross-legs being pivoted to the horizontal bars and the other pairs 1) and D of the lower and upper crosslegs, respectively, detachably engaging the table structure, whereby the cross-legs fold against the table structure above and below the same when released, substantially as described.

3. In combination, the table structure, including the horizontal bars B B, the rack consisting of the legs 0, pivoted to the rear extensions of said bars, and the legs D D, crossing the legs 0 O and pivoted at the intersection, the lower ends of said legs D fitting behind the rear edge of the table-top, and the cross-stay? resting on the bars B B, substantially as described.

at. In combination, the table-top and its supporting structure, including the horizontal bars B B, the rack-frame consisting of the cross-legs O O D D, pivoted at their intersection, the former being pivoted to the rear ends of the extensions and the latter being detachably held and supported at their lower ends by engaging removably with the table structure, whereby the rack will fold automatically when the said lower front ends of the legs D are disengaged from the table structure, substantially as described.

5. In combination,the table-top and its supporting structure, including the horizontal bars B B, the rack comprising the cross-legs O D, pivoted at their intersection, the former being also pivoted to the bars B B and the latter being free at their lower ends, and the detent-frame pivoted at the upper ends of one pair of legs and adapted to engage the stayrod of the other legs, substantially as described,

6. In combination, the table-top and its supporting structure, including the horizontal bars B B, the rack including the cross-legs O C D D, pivoted at their intersection, the legs 0 0 being pivoted to the bars B B and the legs D D being free, the detent-frame pivoted at the upper end of the legs 0 O, and the drop-frame pivoted at the upper ends of the legs D D, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affiX my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH S. COLE.

Witnesses:

L. H. BALDWIN, PERRY E. FRANK.

ITS 

